Forging Ahead: Braddock

A man heads home from the dollar store, just off the main street, with his purchases.

A man heads home from the dollar store, just off the main street, with his purchases.

Photos by John Rennison, The Hamilton Spectator

Braddock, a borough of Pittsburgh, is home to Andrew Carnegie’s first steel mill. Steel was once king here. Now, the Mon Valley Works is still operational, but it employs less than 1, 000 people.

Population in the city used to sit around 20, 000. Now it hovers around 2, 000. The main street is all but vacant, but the borough is slowly gaining a reputation among artists and entrepreneurs.